


Rainy Days

by Vitali (exocara)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Chris is a very good friend, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Unreliable Narrator, hey just in time for valentines happy valentines, i researched about romcoms for this, there's a lot of rain, viktor is not a good poet at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 03:31:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9697712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exocara/pseuds/Vitali
Summary: Director’s List Viktor Nikiforov falls in love with bad boy transfer student Katsuki Yuuri. What happens next will warm your heart.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授權翻譯】Rainy Days by Vitali (exocara)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10845567) by [inoripooh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inoripooh/pseuds/inoripooh)



> special thanks to exile_wrath, love of my life, who helped me beta my work as i sobbed to them at 330am in the morning. 
> 
> happy valentines y'all. it's the 14th where i am.

**_Director’s List Viktor Nikiforov falls in love with bad boy transfer student Katsuki Yuuri. What happens next will warm your heart._ **

-o-

Viktor Nikiforov falls in love in the rain.

It is Spring and the rain rarely ever stops. Viktor’s umbrella becomes a semi-permanent fixture in his bag during these months, his sturdy friend shielding him from the pouring rain every time he walks home after skating practice. It is on one of these walks home that Viktor sees him.

Despite knowing quite a bit about Katsuki Yuuri, Viktor has never actually interacted with him, or even seen him up close. The whole school knows about Katsuki Yuuri; he’s the bad boy who transferred into the college at the beginning of the week, who glares at everyone who talks to him, who never responds to any attempt at making conversation. He did _unspeakable_ things  when drunk during the one party he had gone to that no one will talk about it; he _routinely_ goes into strip clubs every Friday night.

Viktor never would’ve thought that Katsuki Yuuri is someone he would fall for but he is proven wrong on that rainy Spring afternoon when he sees Yuuri picking snails off the road to put them in the grass patches nearby.

-o-

“Maybe, _maybe_ he’s misunderstood,” Viktor says to Chris. Chris, Viktor’s best friend _forever,_ rolls his eyes.

“Yuuri doesn’t even like dogs, and you have Makkachin,” Chris says. Upon hearing her name, Makkachin raises her head and looks around. Viktor pats her head and she settles back down. He processes the information Chris has given him. It’s true that Yuuri doesn’t like dogs; when one of his classmates had been talking about their dog, Yuuri had violently stood up from his table and stalked out of the room.

Normally, someone disliking dogs would be a gigantic deal-breaker for Viktor. However, even after knowing that fact, Viktor still cannot get Katsuki Yuuri out of his head.

-o-

It is still raining the next time they meet.

Once again, it is evening and the Spring rain comes suddenly and without warning, interrupting Viktor and Makkachin’s daily walk. They take cover under a bus stop and wait for the rain to lighten so that they can make their way back home.

Unfortunately, Makkachin doesn’t seem to want to wait, pulling and tugging at her leash. Viktor frowns and grips at it tighter. The last time Makkachin went wild, she had bowled over at least five people with her boundless energy and Viktor had to apologise personally to every single one of them.

“Makkachin, stay,” Viktor says. Makkachin doesn’t heed his command and tugs harder. There is a sudden snap and the tension on the leash is no more.

“Makkachin, no!” Viktor yells but it is too late; Makkachin is already running off into the distance. Viktor curses and runs after her, uncaring about the rain that ignores his umbrella and splashes against him.

He sees Makkachin run around a corner and hears a yelp and then a _splash._ Viktor quickly races round the corner as well, hoping that he can mitigate any damage caused, and freezes.

Makkachin is half-standing on Katsuki Yuuri who is lying on his back in a puddle on the sidewalk, his blue umbrella on the ground next to him. Viktor can almost feel his heart leap into his throat. If Yuuri does anything to Makkachin, crush or no crush, Viktor’ll--

Yuuri pushes himself up by his elbows and smiles at Makkachin, his beautiful face all soft with open affection. Yuuri raises a hand to pat Makkachin’s head, and _laughs_ when Makkachin licks him in return. Even though Makkachin is Viktor’s own dog, Viktor cannot help but feel that he is intruding on something private, something he has no business seeing.

He takes a step back and steps on a twig. The wood breaks under his feet with an audible _snap_ and Yuuri’s gazes flies up to meet Viktor, eyes narrowing and his expression closes off. Viktor yearns to see that openness again, wants to make Yuuri smile at him like Yuuri smiles at Makkachin, but instead he gives a very awkward wave.

“Is this your dog?” Yuuri asks in a brusque tone. Viktor nods and Yuuri’s eyes narrow even more.

“...okay,” Yuuri says eventually, gently guiding Makkachin off of him and getting back onto his own two feet. He picks his umbrella off the ground and looks at Viktor again. Viktor shifts his weight from foot to foot uneasily, nervousness eating him alive under the weight of Yuuri’s stare.

“Your umbrella,” Yuuri says and, oh, it’s not Viktor he’s looking at but Viktor’s umbrella. Viktor wonders what’s so interesting about it and looks up slightly to see that it has been turned inside out.

“Ah,” Viktor says. He brings it down to try and fix it but the metal skeleton of the umbrella breaks instead of bending, leaving Viktor with a broken umbrella.

“Here.” Yuuri holds out his own umbrella, sheltering Viktor from the rain. His eyes are trained elsewhere as he speaks. “You need it more than I do.” He doesn’t let up until Viktor takes the umbrella from his hands.

“But how about you?” Viktor asks.

“I live nearby, so don’t worry about it,” Yuuri says, and then he seems to wince. “You don’t have to return the umbrella,” he continues, speaking a lot faster. “Just, just keep it.”

“But,” Viktor begins again. Yuuri shakes his head and steps away.

“Bye,” Yuuri says right before he begins running off. Viktor stands on the sidewalk and watches him until he can no longer see him, feeling himself going into freefall.

It isn’t until Viktor reaches home that he remembers Yuuri lives on the campus dorms, which are a full thirty minute walk away from where they had just been.

-o-

“Makkachin loves him,” Viktor says to Chris.

“Viktor, it’s two in the morning, why are you calling me?” Chris says.

“Makkachin loves him,” Viktor repeats in a very serious tone of voice. “That’s why it’s perfectly okay for me to love him too.”

“What are you talking about?”

Viktor had been in a daze the entire day, thinking back to Yuuri’s smile, Yuuri’s umbrella, Yuuri’s laugh, Yuuri, Yuuri, _Yuuri._ It was only at 2 a.m. that he realises what this means. He had called Chris immediately.

“Yuuri,” Viktor answers Chris.

 _“Yuuri?”_ Chris asks, incredulity filling his voice. “Viktor, you’ve only met him _once.”_

“Twice, actually,” Viktor says. “He was nice to Makkachin and gave me his umbrella even though his place was a half hour walk away.” Viktor sighs dreamily. “I’m in love.”

“Oh my god,” Chris says. _“Oh my god.”_

-o-

Their third meeting happens in weather you would not believe: rain.

Viktor is standing in a convenience store, trying to figure out which flavour of instant noodle he would rather take when he hears an “Oh”. The “Oh” Viktor hears sounds a lot like one of resignation and Viktor cannot help but be his incredibly nosy self as he follows the source of the utterance in order to find out what happened.

What he sees is Katsuki Yuuri looking at the empty basket with the tag ‘Umbrellas: $7.00’ on it. Immediately, the blue umbrella Yuuri had given him burns a hole in his bag.

Viktor sees Yuuri’s pink lips part slightly to give out a lovely sigh -- and _oh_ what Viktor wouldn’t give to hear his sigh in another context -- and Yuuri looks up. The sad look on his face is replaced by the narrowed-eye glare Yuuri is so often sporting, making Viktor unconsciously take a step back.

Yuuri blinks twice before immediately turning around and marching off. Viktor should let him go in peace -- it is clear that Yuuri doesn’t want to talk to him at all -- but Viktor just cannot help himself. He never can.

“Yuuri!” Viktor calls out. Yuuri pauses and slowly turns around.

“Hello,” Yuuri greets Viktor softly.

“I can’t help but see that you don’t have an umbrella!” Let it not be said that Viktor isn’t _straightforward._

Yuuri glares at the ground. “Yeah,” he says and it sounds like he forced the words out through his teeth. Viktor is not deterred. He knows that Yuuri isn’t as unfriendly as he seems, that beneath that bad boy exterior of his, there is a warm heart of gold. Yuuri just puts on the harsh exterior to protect himself, surrounding that beautiful heart with an ice wall! Something must have happened when he was younger that caused him to be so untrusting towards people, pushing people away in order to protect himself.

Viktor has his metaphorical ice pick out and he is ready to penetrate Yuuri’s walls.

Huh, that’s a good and poetic line. He messages it to Chris.

When Viktor looks up from his phone again, Yuuri is already halfway down the aisle.

 _“Yuu_ ri!” Viktor whines and bounds up to him. “Let’s share an umbrella!”

“You really don’t have to,” Yuuri says. His back is still facing Viktor and Viktor can see his grip on his shopping basket tightening.

“I want to,” Viktor presses. He places himself in front of Yuuri, who is still looking at the ground. “It’s your umbrella, after all.”

“I gave it to you!” Yuuri’s head snaps up and Viktor has a moment to marvel at the way Yuuri’s beautiful eyes sparkle, the way his eyes shine a russet brown instead of the darker brown it usually is when the light illuminates them, before they are narrow once again in Yuuri’s patented glare. “The umbrella is yours now.”

“But this leaves you without an umbrella,” Viktor points out. “I’m just saying that we can share until you get a new one.”

“It’s- it’s not- an umbrella should,” Yuuri stammers out. He looks at Viktor for a half-second, _searching_ , then sighs deeply. “Where are you going?”

Viktor beams. “Wherever you’re going, of course!”

-o-

Viktor’s phone vibrates.

Chris: I hope that whatever kinky kind of sex you’re having, Viktor, it’s safe sex.

-o-

Chris slides Viktor’s notebook back to Viktor, face unreadable.

“So, how are my poems about Yuuri?” Viktor asks.

“I really hope you’re not going to show this book to anyone,” Chris says. “It’ll totally ruin your image as the intelligent prince of the school.”

Viktor looks down at the poem, words about penetrating Yuuri’s walls with his hard ice pick — a good metaphor on how Viktor is trying his best to reach out to Yuuri’s heart to learn more about the real Yuuri — scrawled all over the pages.

“I don’t see how it would,” Viktor says, frowning. Chris sighs.

“Just…” Chris says. “Just don’t show anyone, okay?”

-o-

The rain falls heavily outside, pelting the ground and splashing against the glass windows. It is impossible to see anything through the windows the torrent of rain obscuring and blurring vision.  

“I’d never thought I’d see _you_ here,” Viktor purrs — or, at the very least, tries to — as he slides into the seat beside Yuuri. He can see Yuuri visibly startle, jumping a little in his seat, before whirling around to glare at Viktor.

“Why not?” The furrow between Yuuri’s brow deepens and Viktor longs to smooth it out with his fingers. “The library is open to everyone. People also don’t usually try to talk to me here.” Yuuri looks back at his book, a clear signal for dismissal if his words hadn’t done the trick.

Unfortunately, Viktor Nikiforov.

“A loner, eh?” Viktor says with a smile. Yuuri slowly looks up from his book, blinking at Viktor and somehow conveying extreme irritation.

“Why are you talking to me?” Yuuri asks. His voice is wary and he looks ready to bolt at any moment.

“What do you mean?”

“Look, people like you don’t exactly hang out with people like me,” Yuuri says. Viktor supposes he is right; students like Viktor usually hang out in a clique of their own, and rarely do the social circles of to-be valedictorians overlap with bad boys like Katsuki Yuuri. Still...

“I just want to get to know you,” Viktor says honestly. “I think you’re an interesting person.”

Yuuri give a snort at that, disbelief clear on his face.

“I’m honestly not all that interesting,” he says. “I’m pretty boring, actually, unlike you.” Yuuri’s mouth shuts with an audible ‘click’ and his grip on the book tightens. Viktor beams at him, heartstruck.

“Oh, Yuuri, you’re such a charmer!” Viktor coos.

“Haha, haha, ha.” Yuuri glares at something just beyond Viktor. “Unfortunately,” he says in a tone that suggests that he doesn’t find it unfortunate at all, “I have to leave. Right now. Immediately.” Red is slowly creeping up his face, much to Viktor’s fascination.

“Wait!” Yuuri pauses in his attempt to leave so that he can hear what Viktor has to say. Or maybe it’s because Viktor has a hand around his wrist. “Will I see you again?”

“I go to the same campus as you?”

“I mean, can I see you again, just the two of us?” Viktor tries to squeeze every ounce of charm he has into those words. He _really_ wants to meet Yuuri again, this time with a planned meeting and not one of chance.

Yuuri visibly hesitates and Viktor _hopes._

Hoping pays off because Yuuri inclines his head slightly and says, “I’ll be at the library again tomorrow at three in the evening.”

“I’ll be here!”

-o-

Viktor reaches the library at eleven in the morning.

-o-

That day, Viktor learns that Yuuri like pork cutlet bowls, loves poodles, and is absolutely, positively, _perfect._

“Yuuri is perfect,” Viktor tells Chris.

“Yes, you’ve told me multiple times,” Chris says. “But you still haven’t told me why he’s perfect.” Viktor can tell that Chris is amused.

“He loves poodles, Chris,” Viktor says very seriously. “And he has a wonderful smile. And wonderful brown eyes.”

“Uh-huh.” Chris nods slowly.

“And then when he realised I hadn’t eaten lunch, he left the library and we went to McDonalds and he ordered chicken nuggets for me, Chris! No one has ordered chicken nuggets for me before!”

“That’s because you’re on a diet, Viktor,” Chris points out dryly. Viktor sniffs.

“Semantics. Anyway, he paid for everything too! It was totally, positively, _definitely_ a date. He brought me on a date!” Viktor sighs. “That scoundrel moves so fast!”

“Hmm,” Chris says.

-o-

Their next meeting is in a cafe.

Yuuri had told Viktor that he would be sitting in the cafe just near the entrance of the campus and Viktor was welcome to join him if Viktor doesn’t mind that Yuuri will be doing his assignments. Viktor, _obviously,_ doesn’t mind as long as he can bask in Yuuri’s presence.

It starts to drizzle as Viktor makes his way to the cafe, causing Viktor to break out into a run. By the time Viktor ducks into the cafe, the rain has already progressed into a full downpour and Viktor is positively soaked. Thankfully, the cafe is warm and cosy, with booths and open tables alike along with comfortable and cushioned chairs. Viktor scans the cafe for a familiar head of black hair.

Viktor finds Yuuri tucked into a corner of the cafe, nibbling on a pen as he stares at his laptop in deep concentration. On the table between him and the laptop are sheets of paper scattered messily throughout, leaving just a small space for approximately one small cup of warm coffee. Viktor notices all these but the majority of his attention is focused on one thing and one thing only: the pair of blue spectacles sitting on the the bridge of Yuuri’s nose.

Viktor doesn’t know how long he’s stood at the entrance, just _staring,_ but it is apparently long enough for a barista to round the counter to ask Viktor if he is okay. The barista, whose nametag identified him as Phichit, seems amused but skeptical when Viktor tries to reassures him that, yes, Viktor is totally okay and isn’t in any danger of having his soul ascend due to the sight of Yuuri in spectacles.

Phichit follows his gaze until he sees Yuuri sitting in the corner of the shop. He raises his eyebrows and looks back at Viktor. Viktor ignores him, instead choosing to spend all his energy in making sure he doesn’t trip and faceplant right in front of Yuuri because he’s too busy watching his face to watch where he’s going.

It is at this very moment that Yuuri looks up at Viktor and Viktor is treated to the view of Yuuri’s wonderful brown eyes, wide open and glittering behind the lenses of his glasses as they scan the cafe. When Yuuri’s gaze lands on him, his eyes positively _sparkle._

Viktor falls anyway.

-o-

After three more cafe dates, Viktor notices that Yuuri doesn’t glare anymore, which was nice. When Yuuri didn’t narrow his eyes, Viktor was able to gaze deeply into them, drowning in their chocolate depths, which were both deep, unlike chocolate, and sweet, just like chocolate.

Viktor is a good poet.

“Are you friends with a man named Christophe Giacometti?” Yuuri asks, pulling Viktor out of his thoughts of one of his wedding fantasies. Makkachin features heavily as the ringbearer across all of them.

“Chris?” Why would Yuuri know Chris?

“Yeah. He’s blond, a bit of stubble,” Yuuri describes. “Looks like that guy over there… wait.”

Viktor turns around to see Chris walking into the cafe.

“Small campus,” he hears Yuuri mutter.

“Viktor!” Chris says in a tone that suggests he is pleasantly surprised. “What a coincidence!”

Viktor knows that this is not a coincidence. Viktor has spent a good solid hour last night swooning over today’s date with Yuuri to Chris.

Still, Viktor puts a smile on his face whilst trying to convey to Chris that he would like to be left alone with Yuuri on this romantic date. Chris does not take the hint, sitting down onto the chair next to Viktor.

“Chris, this is Yuuri,” Viktor introduces because he needs to show Yuuri that he is a polite and nice person that is wonderful boyfriend material.

“We’ve met,” Chris says, eyes half-lidded as he smiles at Yuuri. “I had a wonderful chat with him the other day about many things.”

“Really?” Viktor looks at Yuuri for confirmation but Yuuri’s eyes are fixed onto the laptop in front of him.

“Don’t worry, we didn’t really talk about much,” Chris says. “Isn’t that right, Yuuri?”

Yuuri nods his head. He doesn’t glance up from his laptop, body language closed off. Viktor is suddenly aware of just how relaxed Yuuri is when he is only around Viktor, compared to how Yuuri is right now.

“Chris,” Viktor hisses under his breath, making Chris laugh.

“I can see where I’m not wanted,” Chris teases. “Well, I’m only here to tease you anyway. I’ll be off now.”

“Goodbye, Chris,” Viktor says. Chris gives a wink and then he is gone.

“You have a good friend,” Yuuri says.

“What did he talk to you about?” Viktor hopes that whatever it was, it wasn’t anything embarrassing.

Yuuri’s face steadily turns redder as he starts to babble. “He just warned me against breaking your heart or something, which is strange, right? There’s no way you’re interested in me like that. I mean, we’re not even dating--”

“Do you want to?” Viktor blurts out, stopping Yuuri short.

“What?”

“Do you want to, date me?” Viktor manages to say without stuttering. He can feel that his face is getting hot but he doesn’t want to back down.

“I, um…”

“You don’t have to answer now,” Viktor says quickly. “And you don’t have to say yes. I’ll continue to be your friend even if you didn’t want to date me.” Viktor isn’t a bad boy like Yuuri. Viktor doesn’t think he could ever be a bad boy like Yuuri. Yuuri probably only dates bad boys like him because they have similar interests.

“I’ll give you an answer tomorrow,” Yuuri says.

The rest of their time together is spent in awkward silence.

-o-

“I already ordered a drink for you,” Yuuri tells Viktor quietly when Viktor meets him in the cafe.

“Thank you.” When Viktor takes a sip of his drink, he realises that it is his usual, incredibly complicated, order that even Chris has trouble remembering. Viktor had never explicitly told Yuuri his order before. Does this mean that Yuuri pays attention to Viktor?

“Yes,” Yuuri says, making Viktor jump. Had Viktor asked his question out loud?

“What?”

“My answer, yesterday,” Yuuri clarifies, fidgeting with his fingers. “It’s a yes.”

Viktor’s mind is blank for two seconds before he _remembers._ And then it goes blank again.

“Viktor…?” Yuuri looks insecure now and Viktor cannot have that. Yuuri said yes! Yuuri is now Viktor’s boyfriend!

“Yuuri!” Viktor beams. “I’m so happy!” He throws himself over Yuuri in an octopus-like hug, rubbing his cheek against Yuuri’s hair.

Yuuri is stiff in his arms but he slowly relaxed into his embrace.

“I’m happy too,” he says quietly. Viktor isn’t sure if it was meant for him to hear.

-o-

“Chris, what should I wear? I have no clothes?” Viktor moans, dramatically sprawled out on his bed. Chris glances up at his full wardrobe before going back to his phone.

“Yes, you have absolutely zero clothes.”

“Chris!!” Viktor is whining now. Chris sends off his last message and places his phone on the bed before strolling to the closet and pulling out a white dress shirt, baby pink-magenta gradient jacket, and long black pants.

“Wear this,” Chris says, tossing the clothes to Viktor. Viktor catches them.

“Oh Chris, what would I do without your guidance?” he asks. Chris laughs.

“I don’t know what you’ll do but, speaking of that, don’t do what I won’t do on a first date.”

“Chris, the list of things you wouldn’t do on a first date is very short.”

Chris winks in lieu of saying anything.

“Alright.” Viktor looks down at his clothes with a determined glint in his eye. “In order to seduce Yuuri, I will leave my shirt half unbuttoned.”

“Do _NOT—_ ”

-o-

Viktor doesn’t know what possessed him to pick a horror movie.

Actually, he knows. After all the romance novels he’s read and the chick flick movies he’s seen, he had thought that a horror movie would be the perfect excuse for Viktor to feign fear and cuddle up to Yuuri.

He had forgotten that he was _actually_ terrified of horror movies.

The ghost pops up on the screen again and Viktor almost throws the entire bag of popcorn at the screen. Thankfully he doesn’t and that is why they have not been kicked out of the cinema yet.

The ghost disappears into a shower drain and there is a lull in the fear-inducing allowing Viktor to glance at Yuuri.

Who is fast asleep.

Viktor feels his awe for Katsuki Yuuri increase exponentially. He already knows that Yuuri is a hardcore bad boy but to think that he finds horror movies on this scale to be so boring that he falls asleep? Holy shit.

The rest of the movie goes by in a blur as Viktor examines how the ever changing source of light provided by the movie screen shines onto Yuuri’s face, his beauty emphasized by the soft shadows cast onto his face.

Viktor cannot take his eyes off of Yuuri.

-o-

Their near daily outings at the cafe carry on as per usual but with more skinship and shared glances over the rims of cups, and regular umbrella-sharing during the morning spring drizzle. Meanwhile, most of their evenings are filled with romantic dates such as walking on the beach (there isn’t a beach nearby so Viktor compromises with one by the nearby lake. It smelled awful), going to a live band performance (neither of them knew the band… or liked the songs), and stargazing (Viktor fell asleep early and caught a cold because it started to rain).

Despite all the romantic movie dates turned wrong, Viktor feels that he and Yuuri’s relationship is progressing rather smoothly. Possibly. And yes, Viktor may not know as much about Yuuri as he’d like to, too busy with thinking about how to make their dates more romantic and movie-like to ever act on the opportunity, but he reasons that he has time. Hopefully the rest of his life. And besides, Yuuri never talks about himself and the few times that Viktor _actually_ steers the conversation to be about him, Yuuri skillfully deflects. Viktor supposes that Yuuri wants his own privacy and he doesn’t push.

(Yuuri still goes to strip clubs on Fridays. Viktor doesn’t know how to feel about that.)

-o-

Viktor arrives on campus to see a sizeable crowd gathered near the on-campus fast food restaurant. He manages to push his way to the front to see Yuuri in the restaurant, sitting at the same table as three incredibly attractive older women.

He watches as one of the women ruffles Yuuri’s hair and Yuuri turns red. He doesn’t move away from her. He doesn’t flinch. He is smiling openly at her, the exact same smile he ~~should~~ only gives Viktor.

Viktor turns around and leaves for his class.

-o-

It is raining (as usual) and Viktor is sitting opposite Yuuri in their cafe. Viktor swallows his drink nervously, fear fluttering in his veins, as he gathers up his courage to confront Yuuri.

“Yuuri,” Viktor starts and Yuuri looks up from his notes.

“Viktor?”

“Yuuri, I’m not telling you that you _have_ to stop—” _I want you to stop, I really want you to_ “—but we’re in an exclusive relationship, aren’t we?”

“Yes…?” Yuuri sets down his notes to give his full attention to Viktor.

“So, I don’t have a problem with you attending strip clubs every week.” The words are sour in his mouth. “But we’re lovers, Yuuri. I don’t want you to sleep with anyone but me. Surely you can wait until we are both ready for a physically intimate relationship, right?”

“I… what?” Yuuri stares at Viktor with wide, uncomprehending eyes.

“I saw you with some ladies from the strip club the other day,” Viktor confesses. “I know that it must be hard to go from being a playboy to being in a monogamous, exclusive, relationship but… I would like for you to try it. For me?”

“You think that I’m…” Yuuri breaks eye contact. “I’m not, I’m not a playboy.”

“But you are?” Viktor is confused. “Everyone knows that you are, that you’ve slept with many people, that you’re a _bad boy.”_

Viktor manages to catch a glance of Yuuri’s trembling hands before they are shifted from the top of the table to under it, on his lap.

“What kind of person do you think I am?” The words came out almost as a whisper. “What exactly do you like about me?”

“Well,” Viktor is surprised at the sudden question. “I like the way that you’re all cool and mysterious, how you let no one into your heart except for me, how brave and hardcore you are that you fall asleep during horror shows, how you stopped glaring at me after you got to know me, how you’re actually really nice under the bad boy exterior of yours… The little things, really.”

“I see.” Yuuri begins to shove his things into his bag almost violently. The papers crinkles from the force and carelessness of his hands.

“Yuuri?”

Yuuri doesn’t answer, standing up from his seat and stalking out of the cafe. After recovering from his shock, Viktor quickly runs after him.

“Yuuri!”

The rain falls heavily now. Viktor still has Yuuri’s umbrella with him — they had been sharing it as they walked from place to place in the rain — and Yuuri was drenched. Viktor somehow manages to catch up to Yuuri and grabs his shoulder, spinning him around so they are facing each other.

“Yuuri, what’s wrong?” Viktor asks desperately. What had he said to cause such a reaction in Yuuri?

“You know,” Yuuri’s voice is soft but it carries over the sound of the rain. “I’ve always wondered how someone like you can ever like someone like me.” His glasses are wet, lenses flecked with water droplets. Clear liquid runs down his cheeks but Viktor cannot tell if it is the rain or something else.

“But it all makes sense now,” Yuuri continues, looking away from Viktor. “You don’t like me... you just like your _idea_ of me.”

“Yuuri—”

“I’m not- I’m not.” Yuuri hiccups. “I’m not anything like you’ve said. I don’t- I’m not a _‘bad boy_ ’, as you’ve put it. I’m not cool and mysterious; I don’t talk to people because I’m _scared,_ okay? I’m _scared_ that I’ll get rejected by them- be branded as the weird transfer kid that no one likes, and it’s just _easier_ to keep to myself! And I _am_ afraid of horror movies! The last one you brought me to was so scary I blacked out! And I was never glaring in the first place!” Yuuri rips off his glasses to rub at his eyes. “I’m _squinting_ because I broke my glasses and I didn’t have a spare!”

Yuuri shoved his glasses back onto his face.

“You don’t know me at all.”

-o-

Viktor first met Yuuri in the rain. He thinks it’s only fitting that they part it in as well.

-o-

“You shouldn’t mope around like this,” Chris tells Viktor, barging into his room. Viktor is buried under the covers. He doesn’t know how long he has been there.

“Look, I know that you’re still acknowledging the fact that you’ve messed up, but this simply isn’t healthy,” Chris says. “I even talked to Yuuri the other day and—”

Viktor throws a pillow over his head and moans.

“Okay, that is _it,”_ Chris says.

-o-

It is one of the rare Spring days in which there is no rain. Viktor would appreciate the weather more if it fit with his dreary mood. Instead, the sun shines brightly and the birds sing and the sky is filled with fluffy white clouds.

Viktor stares at his feet as he walks. Chris had dragged him out to improve his mood and, frankly, it isn’t helping one bit. In fact, it’s making him feel _worse._

Chris walks beside him, chattering about stuff that Viktor doesn’t bother listening to.

Suddenly, he feels Chris shove him to the side, the same time something collides into him from the other side. He lands on the ground, a sad and miserable heap, and catches sight of Chris dashing off with the black-haired barista from their-- _the_ cafe.

The thing he had collided with moves and lets out a moan of pain, causing Viktor to freeze. He slowly shifts around to see one Katsuki Yuuri lying on the ground with him. Upon catching sight of Viktor’s face, Yuuri freezes too.

“Um,” they say at the same time.

“I…” Yuuri begins again. He then takes a deep breath and bows his head. “My name is Katsuki Yuuri; I transferred here from Japan. I like dogs, especially poodles. My blood type is A, my birthday is on the 29th of November, I take ballet classes, I’m a very awkward person who doesn’t really know how to talk or open up to other people, and I…” Yuuri’s voice falters but Viktor sees him squeeze his eyes shut in determination before he says, “And I am really sorry, Viktor.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Viktor finally says after he recovered from his stunned silence. “I should be the one apologizing instead, for forcing my own expectations onto you. I…” Viktor hesitates. “Can we start again? I really would like to get to know you, properly this time.”

Yuuri’s head lifts and he gives Viktor a small smile.

“I’d like that too.”

-o-

It is Summer and the sun seemingly _never_ stops being sweltering hot. Yuuri’s umbrella becomes a semi-permanent fixture in Viktor bag during these months, shielding both Viktor and Yuuri from the unforgiving rays of the sun every time they walk to their cafe in the afternoons after class.

Most of their evening are filled with romantic dates such as eating takeout in either one’s room (sometimes with a candle if they felt particularly romantic, and willing to risk fire hazards), watching all sorts of movies together on their laptop (both of them cuddle up with each other, sometimes in blanket forts), and singing and dancing along to music they blast from their phone speakers (neither of them can sing but these sessions aren’t about sounding good anyway. It’s about sounding bad _together)._

-o-

“Viktor, it’s _2am!_ Please!” Chris whines into the phone for the third night in a row.

“Chris, Chris,” Viktor says with a gasp. “Chris, he’s perfect. I’m in love.”

“Uh-huh.”

“He loves poodles, he loves the ocean, he was afraid of ice skating but he tried it out because he wanted to make me happy,” Viktor starts listing off. “His favorite color is blue, _like my eyes,_ his favorite food is katsudon, he only can cook katsudon and instant noodles and I love him, and, and, and--”

“Good night Viktor.” Chris yawns and hangs up.

-o-

“There’s one thing I still don’t get,” Viktor says as he lies splayed across Yuuri’s lap.

“Hm?” Yuuri looks away from his book to look at Viktor.

“Why _do_ you go to strip clubs every Friday anyway?”

Yuuri’s face flushes red. “Um,” he says, gaze everywhere but on Viktor’s face. “It’s… it’s probably better if I show you.”

-o-

“Holy shit,” Viktor says as Yuuri levels him a seductive look, holding himself up on the pole with beautifully sculpted thighs. _“Holy shit.”_

**Author's Note:**

> (puts the rain between teeth) it's a metaphor for idealising someone/being unable to see someone clearly. 
> 
> i might write out some yuuri pov of some scenes if anyone asks for it. so, i guess, just tell me what scene you'd like me to write in yuuri's pov! 
> 
> find me on [tumblr](http://vitavitali.tumblr.com) @ vitavitali.tumblr.com (in case the link is not working) where i... do stuff. post fics i will probably not post on ao3. talk about vicchan. all those blog things.


End file.
